Video Game 'The Last of Us' Has a Staggering Amount of Detail

Wednesday

Jun 19, 2013 at 9:00 AM

You will be emotionally invested in the game's characters.

KYLE KENNEDYTHE LEDGER

If I were an ant, I’d be deathly afraid of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.It’s a parasitic fungus that changes an ant’s behavior and compels it to wander off and die, at which point the fungus emerges from the host’s body, releasing spores into the world. The visual result of this real process is quite disturbing.In “The Last of Us” (PlayStation 3; rated Mature), an evolved form of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis has plagued mankind. It turns its victims into savage monstrosities — becoming more grotesque as time goes on — that mindlessly attack any creature on sight.I guess you could say “The Last of Us” is another zombie game, but it doesn’t feel like the typical “shoot endless waves of shambling undead” adventure. It goes to great lengths to make you believe in its post-pandemic world and become emotionally invested in its characters.The PS3 exclusive hails from Naughty Dog, a company famous for its lavishly cinematic “Uncharted” franchise. Much like those games, “The Last of Us” stands out for its striking level design and well-written characters, though the tone is obviously much darker.You are Joel, a survivor in his late 40s who witnessed the killer fungus outbreak two decades before. He’s now living under military rule in a quarantined section of Boston, working as a contraband smuggler with an unexpected assignment: to escort a 14-year-old girl named Ellie to a rebel group in another zone. It soon becomes clear why the job is so important.The duo’s grim journey is marked by spectacular scenes of urban decay, with vegetation growing wild and skyscrapers collapsing into each other. The darkened building interiors are tense and claustrophobic places, where you’re likely to come across the game’s hideous, infected beings. The remaining survivors are frequently just as hostile.Combat is a mix of third-person shooting and melee attacks, with an emphasis on stealth over brute force. The levels are large enough to invite exploration and scavenge for resources used to upgrade weapons and make supplies.I’m still playing through “The Last of Us,” and at this point I can’t really say the action has wowed me. I’m more impressed by the staggering amount of detail in the world, and how natural Joel and Ellie look interacting with the environment, and each other. The facial animation and voice acting are top notch.Zombie games are generally so ridiculous that it’s hard to lose yourself in the story, but I’ve had no such problem thus far in “The Last of Us.” It’s smartly written and paced, and I find myself anxiously pushing forward to see the next turn in events. The material has some similarities with great books/films like “The Road” and “Children of Men.”And lest we get too serious here, the infected former humans of “The Last of Us” are awesomely repulsive and scary. The game delivers when it comes to horror. I recall hearing about its premise a while ago and just laughing at the idea of these fungus things running rampant, but I take that back now.Fungus can be terrifying. Don’t mess with it. Just ask the ants.